There’s a questionnaire to see just how sensitive you are. Chances are you’ll attain a perfect score.

Elaine is obviously an HSP, and her empathy with your condition is very welcome.

She offers some useful and practical life tips.

Chief among these are:

Be your own ‘parent’ (i.e. look after yourself as if you still had a living and/or caring mother or father).

If you’re about to freak out in a situation, give it just a bit more time. Promise yourself you can leave if things remain difficult. There’s a good chance that after you get over your initial panic, you’ll be OK.

You really can’t afford to hide in your room forever. Especially if you have a partner. Give new things a go now and then. If something is too hard, you can always withdraw. But at least make an effort.

While some parts of the book may be uncomfortable to read, it’s true that without some pain there’s little gain.

On balance, you should find that The Highly Sensitive Person will reward your time and effort.